Africa started up the world championships in Eugene (USA) with a resounding triple in the men's and women's 10,000m and a double in the men's marathon. At the end of the first three days, Africa has got 3 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals.
Letesenbet Gidey (Ethiopia) flew over the women's 10,000m final by completing the event in 30'09''94 ahead of Kenya's Hellen Obiri (30'10''02) and Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi (30'10''07). Her great opponent, the Dutchwoman of Ethiopian origin, Sifan Hassan, finished in fourth place. A year ago at the Olympics, Sifan Hassan took away the gold medal ahead of Gidey who was third.
While he was defeated at the 2020 Olympics by to Ethiopia’s Salomon Barega, Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei won the 10,000m and thus keeps his title of world champion by clocking 27’27’’43. The podium is completed by Kenya’s Stanley Waithaka Mburu (27'27''90) and the other Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo (27'27''97). At 25, the Olympic vice-champion is also the world record holder for the 5,000m and 10,000m. On the other hand, Salomon Barega finished in 5th place.
Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola is world marathon champion. After finishing second at the London World championships in 2017, the 31-year-old athlete got on top of the podium. He won in 2h05min36 followed by his compatriot Mosinet Geremew (2h06min45s) and the Belgian Bashir Abdi (2h6min49s).
Failure in sprint
The chances of medals in the sprint for Africa rested on the Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, South Africa’s Akini Simbine and the Ivorian Marie-Josée Ta Lou, but all of them failed in 100m, the king event.
The only African in the men's 100m final, Akini Simbine could not do better than 5th place in 10''01. However, he had signed a promising time of 9.97 in the semi-finals. A final dominated by the American trio Fred Kerley (9''86), Marcvin Bracy (9''88) and Trayvon Bromell (9''88). Marie-Josée Ta Lou finished seventh in the final with a time of 10.93. She had well negotiated her semi-final by taking 2nd place in 10.87 behind the Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah. The race was dominated by Jamaicans Shelly Anne-Fraser (10.67), Shericka Jackson (10.73) and Elaine Thompson-Herah (10.81).
It is to be noted that Letsile TEBOGO from Botswana had clocked 9''94 (new U20 world record) in the heats but his way came to end in the semi-finals (10''17), just like the Ivorian Arthur Cissé (10''16), Nigerians Favor Oghene (10''12) and Raymond Ekevwo (10''20) and Liberian Emmanuel Matadi (10''12).
Algerian Amine Bouanani, the African champion in the 110m hurdles, set a new national record in 13”37 in the semi-final.
DAILY PROGRAM
Monday July 18
(UCT)
1:15 p.m.: Women's Marathon
4:35 p.m.: Heptathlon – Long jump
5:55 p.m.: Heptathlon - Javelin
00:05 a.m.: Men's 200m heats
00:10 a.m.: Women's discus qualifiers
00:45 a.m.: Men's high jump final
01h00 a.m.: Women's 200m heats
1:20 a.m.: Women's triple jump final
1:55 a.m.: Heptathlon - 800m
2:20 a.m.: Men's 3,000m steeplechase final
2:50 a.m.: Women's 1,500m final
